Top Five Foods You Shouldn't Eat On A Date
by TheMoonIsLowTonight-funkyfish
Summary: Five dates, five meals, five disasters. But Carlisle and Esme's new love life together just can't be stopped by a few glitches. ALL HUMAN, FIVE-SHOT. A/N AT END IS VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ . :D x x x possible sequel, read and review :  xxx
1. 1: Barbeque Ribs

**Top five foods you shouldn't eat on a date**

**The original point to this story was to warn people about the consequences of eating messy foods on dates, but over time it evolved into saying that nothing really matters if you are meant for each other. **

**I'm not entirely sure where this is set, but for the sake of ease, I'm going to say England. It just makes it easier for me, because it means less research, which means faster updates. Chapter two is already half written, and I have the other three chapters planned out. If this is very well loved, I might do a sequel, but that all depends on the response I get from this. Reviews are love; so if you love me, review. :D x x x**

**Chapter 1: barbeque ribs.**

**Esme's POV:**

"You look bootiful, mummy," Alice announced as I eased myself down the stairs. I was dressed up for the night; my first real date in years, since I'd had Alice and Edward four years ago. Leaving tonight would be hard, but I needed to get out, according to my friends. The last time I'd left the kids with a babysitter was five years ago, when I'd left a two-week-old Emmett so I could go to a friend's hen night. I'd lasted three hours before I decided I didn't like the thought of not being there for my son, and called a taxi.

"Thank you, baby. Now, are you sure you're gonna be ok tonight? Because you know that when I get back, you'll be asleep."

Her tiny frame shrank a little, but she put on a weak smile. She was so sweet.

"It's ok, mummy. I'm gonna play dress up with Bella."

I grinned at her. "Ok, then. Just remember to be really good for Bella, do everything she says."

She nodded, running off to the living room to play with the boys. They may not be as good as girls to play with, but they still managed to get on well enough to play cars together for half an hour at least. Edward, unsurprisingly, wasn't playing on the floor with his boisterous older brother, but was sat in the conservatory, playing the piano. I had put him in for lessons a few weeks ago, since he showed a general interest in music, and he was loving it. He could already play two scales, and was starting to learn to read sheet music. A little advanced, considering he couldn't even read properly yet.

Just then, the doorbell rang, signalling the arrival of the babysitter and my cab. I quickly kissed all three of my children and ran to the door.  
Bella was stood on the doorstep, iPod on and book in hand. She had met the kids once before, when I had first decided to go out for the night. She seemed a responsible, normal sixteen year old, and her father was a policeman, so I felt quite happy to leave my kids with her.

"Instructions are on the kitchen table," I told her. "Help yourself to anything in the fridge and mine, the doctors, my dates and the restaurants numbers are all on the instructions. I gotta go now. Bye."

She didn't say anything in reply, but I didn't really give her chance, jumping into the waiting taxi.

On the journey, I thought about my mystery date. My friend Kate had set me up with him; he was a friend of her new boyfriend. A doctor, I think she said. Or was it a plumber? I decided that it didn't matter anyway; I'd probably end up asking him as a conversation starter.

The first thing I did when I got out the taxi (other than pay the driver) was call Kate. She answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's me. I need a description of this guy. I'm not gonna walk into a restaurant and talk to some randomer for half an hour before the real date turns up."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down a bit," she urged. "The guy is tall, blonde, looks young and sophisticated."

I located a blonde through the window, but he had his back to me.

"Right. I'm going in."

"Mission impossible," she muttered. "Go for it, have fun."

"I'll try."

I waited for her to hang up, and then walked casually into the restaurant. First, I located all the blonde guys, not paying attention to faces. Then I sought out the ones sitting alone. That left one, overweight man sat stuffing his face in the corner. I shuddered, but there was nobody else to go to.

"Esme?" I heard someone call my name. I span around, coming face to face with the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He smiled wonderfully down at me, as I struggled to regain my composure.

"I'm Carlisle," he introduced himself. "Garrett's friend."

"Hi, umm... I'm Esme. But you knew that, so," I was rambling on, not at all making sense, when he interrupted me with his light chuckle. "You find my ramblings amusing, Carlisle?" I shot at him, smiling jokingly to show I was kidding.

"Very. Shall we sit down?"

I nodded, following him to a table where his coat already hung over the back of his chair. He pulled out a seat opposite his for me, which I took gratefully, removing my jacket and placing it on the back. _Well, he's a gentleman_.

The silence that fell while we browsed the one menu was not uncomfortable, probably due to the babble of the surrounding people. It was only broken by the waitress coming to take our orders. She was young, and I couldn't help but notice the way she kept staring at Carlisle, gazing longingly, it seemed.

"I don't know what to get," he confessed.

I shook my head. "Neither do I, but I really don't think I could turn down a rack of ribs. In fact, yes, that's what I'm having."

The waitress wrote down my order without even so much as a glance in my direction.

"Ooh, go on then, I'll have the same." He grinned childishly at me, folding up the menu to hand back to the waitress. To my satisfaction, he didn't look at her for any longer than was necessary to be polite.

"So, what do you do for a living?" He asked me. I smiled at the fact that I didn't have to be the one to ask that.

"I'm a teacher, in a primary school."

"Ah, so it's ms..." he stopped suddenly, realizing that he didn't know my last name.

"Miss Platt," I told him. "I'm divorced."

He looked a little uncomfortable for a moment. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He was an awful person to me."

Automatically, he reached out his hand to hold mine across the table. Although I was initially a little shocked, I didn't protest.

"Esme, please tell me he didn't hurt you." Carlisle glanced up at me through his long blonde lashes, sending shivers down my spine.

I felt obliged to say no, but I knew I couldn't lie to him.

"You should know. He... Was abusive," I admitted. "Both physically and," I paused to take a deep breath, desperately trying to force back the memories. "The other one." The mood change was a little awkward as he gasped, but I dealt with it.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle, I shouldn't have brought that up."

His hand contracted around mine. "No, I'm glad you did. I, uh... Have a rather... Embarrassing past relationship. My ex-wife used to, erm... Hit me. And our children. My children."

"You have children?"

A bead of sweat appeared on his brow, but his eyes were full of love.

"Yes. Rosalie and Jasper are twins, they're five. And so beautiful."

He pulled his leather wallet from his back pocket, flipping it open to reveal two beautiful blonde haired children, their faces frozen in an endless giggle as their father kissed them wildly.

"They're gorgeous," I told him honestly. "It's a draw between them and mine, though." I handed him a picture from my own purse, showing Emmett, Alice and Edward dressed up as a witch and two wizards for Halloween. "Thats Emmett, he's five, and Edward and Alice are four. They're twins."

"I can see that," he laughed. "They're gorgeous too. You were right, it's a tie."

I stole a last glance at his wallet before he slipped it away, noticing a rather important factor.

"You're a doctor?"

He grinned. "Yes, I'm a physician. I work at the hospital, head of the department."

My mouth dropped open with a slightly audible _pop_, as I imagined him in a white lab coat. Wow, I was on a date with a doctor. A very gorgeous doctor...

His laughter interrupted my inappropriate thoughts, sending me crashing back to reality. As my eyes refocused, I saw him flashing his security badge.

"Wow, Doctor Cullen, you have a VIP pass to the hospital? Fancy."

He laughed again, louder this time.

"I've never been called fancy before," he choked out, still chuckling.

"Well, there's a first for everything."

"Indeed there is, my dear, indeed there is."

When the food came, he moved back around to where he should have been seated, much to my distaste. I was, however, distracted, by the mountain of meat on my plate, dripping in barbeque sauce.

"I really don't think I'm going to finish this on my own," I muttered to myself.

"Me neither, but I'm sure we'll get through it."

As I dug in, I realised my mistake in ordering this. There was so much sauce, it was overwhelming, yet strangely appetizing. Carlisle was already three ribs through his, while I had only eaten one, and still managed to get sauce on my cheeks. He hadn't succeeded in escaping with a clean face, but I was supposed to be dignified on a first date. I guess I said goodbye to that when one of the ribs I was chewing on slipped from my grasp, clattering onto my plate and splattering both my shirt and Carlisle's with the brown, sticky substance. He looked down at his shirt in confusion, wiped a splodge from his nose, licked it, then grinned at me childishly. I giggled, blushing red.

"Sorry," I laughed.

His grin turned to one of mischief, which I returned warily. He laughed once, before running his finger down his shirt, collected a large fingertip full, and dabbed it onto my nose. I was shocked at his daring, but nonetheless returned it by smearing a line around the right side of his lips, which he licked off instantly. I cleared off my nose, and licked my fingers.

Glancing up to his eyes, he winked at me, then carried on eating, as we chatted randomly. The food fight was over.

I had nearly finished my meal when my mobile rang, interrupting our conversation. I was alarmed to see my home number flashing up.

"Oh dear..." I murmured. "Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Platt? I think you should come home, I have to go." Bella's frantic voice panted down the line. Panic rose inside of me, my mothers intuition kicking in.

"What? Why? Are the kids ok? Are you ok?"

"The kids are fine, I'm fine, but my dad... He's been in a car accident and his friend's had a heart attack. I think I should go be with him. I'm so sorry to cut your night short, but..."

"Right, I completely understand. You need to be with your father right now. I'll be home as soon as I can. Bye."

"Bye."

I ended the call, sighing out of irritation. I was really enjoying this. And I really wanted to see Carlisle again...

"Is everything alright?" He asked, apparently genuinely concerned.

"Yes, well, no, not exactly. My babysitter needs to leave, her dad was in a car accident."

"Oh my God. I'll give you a lift back to your house."

I didn't turn him down. He left a rather large amount if money on the table, considering how little we ate, and we ran out of the restaurant. I didn't even notice that I wasn't wearing my jacket until I saw him carrying it. As we half walked, half jogged Up to his car, I had to admire his sense of transport.

"A Mercedes?"

"S55 AMG. A little outdated, but I love it."

I didn't blame him. It was shiny black, and looked so sleek and new under the lights of the restaurant. Climbing in, I noted the leather interior, which added to the sophistication, and the two child's seats in the back, which added the family feel to it. It even had that new car smell, mixed with leather, diesel, and Carlisle's own independent fragrance, which I cannot even begin to describe in all it's intoxicating glory. The engine roared to life, before falling back into a comforting purr, as we set off smoothly along the city streets.

"So where do you live?"

I was so lost in thought, I had to think about my answer.

"Umm, just carry on up here, I'll give you directions after the junction. You'll need to turn left, then straight over the roundabout and over the bridge."

He nodded, reaching over to squeeze my hand gently. I returned the gesture, happily taking in the moment. Reluctantly, he moved his hand to change gears, and didn't put it back.

We pulled up at my house ten minutes later, where I was faced with the dilemma of what to say next. I was a little out of practice, to say the least.

"Thank you so much Carlisle," I started, a little nervous. "I had a really great night."

"Me too, even if it was cut short."

"Very short. But, maybe I could make it up to you?"

"That would be wonderful. I think your children need you now, though."

Looking up to my house, I was quick to see the curtains fall back into place as a tiny little head disappeared into the room.

"They do. So, uh, call me so we can arrange something."

"I will," he told me. There was something in his voice, something in his eyes that made me believe him. I really didn't want to get out of the car, but I knew that I had to.

"Right, I really have to go now. Would you like to come in for a drink?"

He shook his head. "I'd better go relieve my nanny. She loves the kids to bits, but I think she'd prefer to be at home."

"Yes, of course. I'll see you later then."

"Later."

I climbed out of the car, rather reluctantly, and gave him one last wave before I went inside. He drove off once I was indoors, where I was greeted by a sleepy Alice.

"Mummy, Bella been crying. I think she sick."

"No, baby," I soothed her. "She's ok, she just has to go now." I placed my daughter on the sofa, next to a tired Edward and an Emmett who was refusing to sleep.

"Bella?" I called out gently. There was a faint reply from the kitchen, where I found her sitting at the kitchen table, my house phone still in her hand. "Are you okay? Do you want me to call you a taxi?"

She shook her head. "My friend will be here in a minute. But thanks for the offer."

"That's ok, you just go be with your dad. Here," I pulled out the three tenners I had in my pocket ready to pay her.

"But... I didn't do anything."

"Oh, don't give me that crap. One, I know my kids, they will have run you ragged. Two, you are under stress under my roof, and my house rules state that all stress caused must be compensated for. Now take it."

She did, and while her phone buzzed in her pocket, she grabbed her book and her iPod, and was out the door.

I sighed, not entirely satisfied with my night out. Yes, I had met a genuinely lovely man, but my night had been cut short because someone had been hurt. So yet again, I was left to put my children to bed, alone ever more.

**Review? Alert? Reccomend? The more reviews I get, the faster I will update. :D x x x **


	2. 2: Burgers

**Chapter 2: **

Carlisle's POV

I couldn't believe it. Garrett had been right. He'd told me that he'd found my perfect match, and I hadn't believed him. It seemed stupid, after all, I'd thought that my ex-wife had been my perfect match, and that had ended only a year after we married.

As I pulled into my garage, I noticed a folded lump of material on the back seat. Her coat. I groaned internally, dreading the long drive back to her house at this late hour.  
But I'd had a great time with Esme, and I'd been trying to think of an excuse to meet her again all night. This wasn't a burden, it was a blessing.

_I'll call her tomorrow,_ I told myself. I may have been disappointed that our date had ended so soon, but I'd taken an early shift at the hospital to get the night off, and I was now pretty tired.

Inside the house, all was silent. My nanny, Carmen, was great with my kids. She'd been looking after them whenever I needed her since they were born, but it was only since I got full custody that I hired her full time. The kids love her, and her husbandEleazar sometimes helped out at night, too.

"Carlisle?" Called the familiar soft voice from down the hall. After I hung my coat up, I turned around to be face to face with Carmen, who was barely out of her thirties, yet had the best relationship with another persons children I had ever seen. She genuinely loved Jasper and Rosalie, and I'm sure they loved her too.

"Hey Carmen. Are th-"

"The children are fine, Carlisle, they're fast asleep. But Rose made me promise to tell you, she wants a goodnight kiss," she smiled knowingly at me, aware that I would be giving both Rose and Jasper visits before I did anything else tonight.

I simply shook my head at her.

"You know me too well," I muttered.

She laughed quietly. "Indeed I do. A mutual point, I think."

I nodded in reply, leaving her in peace to go home. After all, she would be returning at seven to get the kids up. I wasn't working until ten, but we liked to keep the kids to a routine, making it all a lot easier.

"See you tomorrow," she called.

"Bye."

"Get some sleep. Now."

"Yes ma'am," I laughed. It was a running joke that she didn't just look after the kids, she looked after me, too.

I had a maid to do my washing and ironing, who I paid extra to do the cleaning, but Carmen did the cooking when I wasn't around, which I ate when I was.

This time she had made a lasagne, which I have to say it one of my favourites out of all her dishes. I left it on the counter top, my first priority being saying goodnight to my kids. The first door I came to at the top of the stairs was theirs, left slightly ajar to let the light in. As I fully opened the door, the increase in light did not awaken them, although they did stir.

Walking over to Jasper's bed first, I took a minute to watch him sleep. He looked so peaceful, so cute. His honey blonde hair stuck out in all directions across his pillow: I couldn't bear to cut it short, not when he looked so sweet like that. His tiny body arched as he rubbed his eyes, yawning widely, but still did not wake. He hadn't woken up in the night since he was two, and he was now five. He looked so clichéd in his cowboy PJ's, a stuffed toy dog clutched tightly in his arms, but who cared? I ran my hand lightly through his soft hair, and placed a kiss on his forehead.

Across the room, Rosalie slept soundly. Dressed in pink princess pyjamas, she really did look a beautiful princess. Her hair splayed perfectly around her like a halo, the same shade of blonde as her brother's, but finer, more delicate, much like her personality. She has an amazingly kind and gentle soul, treating everything like it was made from fairy dust. But looking at her, you might think that she was the one made by fairies. She was small for her age, and looked as if simply picking her up could break her, but she had a strong heart.

She'd nearly died when she was born; her umbilical chord was wrapped around her neck, and she didn't breathe for two minutes, but she pulled through. Now I was blessed with two beautiful angels, who were mine, and mine alone.

And yet my heart still could expand. I ached for a woman to share my life with, but not even in a physical way, not yet. I just wanted the company of another, to share my life with. I hadn't had that for years, and I was beginning to think that I never would again. A stupid thought, I know, but what can a man do when all hope seems lost. _Anyway, who would take on a divorced single father of two? Maybe a divorced single mother of three?_

I allowed that thought to linger for a while, as I placed a soft kiss on my daughter's forehead, and left them to sleep in peace.

In the kitchen, I put the lasagne in the oven, waiting for my favourite meal to cook. I wasn't particularly hungry since I had only just eaten, but I needed to eat again to avoid starvation tomorrow. I did a lot of exercise during the day, what with running around work, and an hour spent at the gym after work every day, I needed a lot of calories to burn.

So ate half of a small lasagne, placing the rest in a container in the fridge to eat later. Carmen's cooking would not go to waste.

I showered quickly, before retiring to my bedroom for the night. I needed my rest for my upcoming twelve hour shift tomorrow. Most doctors couldn't handle as much of those as I did, but I needed the money, and it kept me occupied. I didn't do as many as I used to, and I always had weekends off to spend with my kids, but medicine wasn't just my occupation. I wanted to help people, so it became both a hobby and an interest. Despite common belief, it wasn't a pick-up line. That is, until tonight.

I sighed deeply, completely content and collapsed on my bed. I couldn't get Esme out of my head. She was there when I closed my eyes, smiling at me, simultaneously causing me to grin back shyly. She just had one of those addictive personalities. _Addictive, and contagious._ I couldn't help but smile when I was around her, because he was just so easy to be around. When I was talking to her, everything seemed natural. It was natural, it was perfect. She was perfect.

During our evening, I had memorized everything I loved about her; her shy smile, her beautiful, deep hazel eyes, her long caramel curls that fell perfectly around her heart shaped face, even the musical sound of her laugh. I loved every inch of her. It felt stupid to say it so soon, very stupid, but it felt right. I did love her. Was I _in_ love with her? That I would have to find out, but I was damned if I wasn't, since I was clearly obsessing over her. I hated this. Well, no, I loved this, because I had found someone, but I hated it, because I hated being unsure of something. I needed to know everything about everything, and in the early stages of relationships, that was rare.

I knew that I shouldn't dwell on that for too long, so I rolled over and tried to escape the world through the medium of sleep.

* * *

_I must be obsessed,_ I thought as I climbed into the car the next morning. Images of her had filled my dreams, and she was the first thing I thought about when I awoke. I'd managed to clear my head for long enough to get breakfast ready for the kids.

They woke me up at 6:45 by jumping on me, not that I minded. I felt blessed just to have them, so if they wanted to wake me up by jumping on me, I wouldn't have minded any more than I would have if they'd hugged me. We lay in bed together until Carmen came at seven so I could go for a shower.

* * *

I'd had a wonderful morning, which led into a wonderful day. Nobody died on my watch, and I'd sent a little girl home with an all-clear notice after I'd removed a tumour from her chest a few years back. I was still on a high as I went onto a break at five, and realised that I still hadn't called Esme about her coat.

I sank deeply into my office chair, thankful for a rest. I'd been on my feet all day, only having ten minutes for lunch.

Dialling her mobile number I debated what I should say first. However I didn't have much time to think about it, since she picked up after only three rings.

"Hello?" I sighed internally at her melodic voice.

"Hi, Esme? It's Carlisle."

"Oh hi! Um, is everything alright?"

"Yes, yes. But you, uh, you left your coat in my car, and I was wondering if you'd perhaps like to meet me for lunch tomorrow? You know, to pick it up?"

She laughed sweetly.

"Carlisle I'd love to have lunch with you, and thank you for calling about my coat. But you sound like you're using the coat as an excuse! You know you don't need one, right?"

My already wide smile grew, as I cherished the thought that she actually wanted to meet me again.

"I know. I just... Never mind. So, lunch tomorrow?"

"As if I could say no. What time?"

"Well what time is your lunch?"

"I have a free period from eleven to twelve forty," she replied, almost like she'd rehearsed it.

"Excellent. Can I meet you in town at quarter past eleven? There's a small restaurant opposite the church, it's nothing too extravagant, and they do lovely meals."

"Ok. I'll see you there then. I have to go now; I'm putting dinner out. Bye."

"Ok, bye."

She hung up first, and I suddenly realised what an arse I must have come across as. I didn't ask her how she was, and I jumped straight into asking her out on another date. All the while, she was making dinner for her kids._ Well that's just great. Well done me_.

* * *

Lunch the next day couldn't come fast enough. I'd been at the hospital since half past seven that morning, and I was lucky to get the time off that I needed for lunch. I was still on call, part of the bargain I had made with one of the other doctors for a guaranteed 45 minutes at best. After that he could page me if I was needed, and I would owe him a large favour.

Esme was already waiting outside for me when I arrived, so naturally, the first thing I did was apologise.

"I am so, so sorry I'm late. It was hectic, I couldn't get here fast enough."

She shook her head dismissively. "No, it's fine. Shall we go in?"

"We shall," I replied, mimicking her tone.

I took her arm and walked her inside, where we were shown to a table. I pulled a chair out for her, simply because I could, and it made me feel good to know I could do things for her. I also placed her coat that I had brought on the back of her chair, before removing mine and draping it over my own chair.

"So how are you?" I asked, lifting up a menu.

"Oh, I'm fine thank you. And yourself?"

"I'm well."

The sounds of awkward conversation drifted over from a table a few feet away, which I noted with regret that it closely resembled our own conversation, mostly because of the mutual prolonged silences.

"So, Dr Cullen," Esme grasped my attention instantly. "Why was it that you felt the need to have an excuse to ask me out on a second date?"

I shifted nervously in my seat. I really couldn't come up with any explanation that didn't make me sound like an idiot. However, I would have preferred to be an idiot than a heart breaker.

"Oh," she breathed quietly. I raised an eyebrow in confusion but she looked down at her menu to avoid my stare.

I replied as gently as I could manage. "Oh what?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing, I just... I just realised that this, it's not a real date is it?" She may have choked on her words a little, but I certainly choked on my heart at that moment.

"What do you mean, it's not a real date? It is, isn't it?"

"Well, I assumed from your reluctance to speak that you didn't want to see me again, you just felt the need to drop my coat off."

I fought the urge to laugh. I didn't do a very good job.

"What is so funny?" She asked, almost tearful with frustration.

Caught dead in my tracks, I backed up a bit.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Look, the reason I thought I needed an excuse for a second date was because I thought that I didn't really have a chance with you, and that I would have to win you over. Trust me, there is nothing you could have done to stop me calling you. Even if you hadn't left your coat, I would have found a way to meet you again. I don't know what, but I would have. The coat was just a blessing of an excuse to call you."

I watched in awe and amusement as her beautiful face morphed from shock and hurt into an embarrassed smile. Scarlet blush coloured her cheeks, which I would have complimented her on, but the waitress arrived before I could get a word out.

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

I looked at Esme to let her order first.

"I'll have an orange and lemonade please."

"And I'll have a diet coke please." I smiled, waiting for the waitress to write it down and walk off.

Once we were alone once again, we returned to studying the menus.

"So what do you think you're getting?" I asked casually.

"I don't know," she answered. "Would you judge me if I ordered a burger?"

I shot a confused glance at her. "Of course not. Actually I have heard that they do rather nice burgers here. I think I might have one, too."

The shy smile that I loved so much spread across her face, and I just had to return it. I could have told her that I loved it, and normally I would have, but I didn't want to scare her off by moving too fast, so I held back, promising myself that I would tell her another time.

After the waitress had brought our drinks and taken our orders, I found myself casually setting my hand on the table, ready for her to take it if she wanted. She was obviously nervous, as she didn't look me in the eye, only placing her own hand next to mine, leaving me to make the next move. I did so gladly, gently cupping my large hand over her smaller, more delicate one, and squeezing it lightly. I looked up into her eyes to find her doing the same. I could feel myself blushing a little, not quite as much as she was, but we were both smiling, so I wasn't worried.

_Stuff it, _I thought to myself. _I'm going for it._

I chuckled lightly, a small sound just to prepare myself to speak.

"I love it when you smile like that. You're beautiful."

Her blush deepened and spread further across her face.

"Thank you," she murmured. "I... You're, uh,"

I laughed a little, louder than before. "You don't have to say anything, Esme, I was just speaking the truth."

Her gaze drifted down to our hands, as she mumbled something I could barely hear.

"But I wanted to say something."

"Say it then," I whispered. I don't know why I whispered it, it just seemed appropriate. I mentally kicked myself for changing the mood so much, but didn't attempt it physically. Not in public.

"Ok. Sometimes, when I look at you, I get lost in your eyes, and I feel like I don't deserve to be on a date with someone so handsome and kind and amazing," She smiled weakly, "And yet I'm too selfish to turn you down because I've been alone for so long, and I really, really, really like you, even though I don't deserve you."

In an attempt not to sound too mushy-fluffy, I toned my voice down, but it only made me sound even more of a lovesick fool.

"You know I could say exactly the same about you. I feel like we've known each other for so much longer that just two days, but... I don't want to rush you. You shouldn't feel inclined to say anything, or do anything, please tell me if you ever feel uncomfortable or scared. And I've just realised what this sounds like I'm suggesting, but, jeez, anything I say can only make this worse, oh my God, I can't recover from this one. I'm such an idiot..." I started to laugh around the "Oh my God" part, but for some reason I just kept going. I only stopped my rambling when she started to laugh, too.

"Why are you laughing?"

She held back (quite badly) another round of contagious laughter. "I'm sorry, it's just that you sound like me. Well, when you panic like that, you do."

I rolled my eyes, stroking small circles into the back of her hand.

I was on a high from then on, right up until the food came, and I became partially distracted when I had to release her hand.

Unfortunately, the first bite I took spurted a disaster; the bread holding my burger together split straight down the middle, sending the entire contents to fall onto the plate in one big mess. Tomato sauce splattered onto my shirt, and I groaned loudly.

"Oh dear," she said quietly. "That's not going to come out."

"I know," I sighed, scraping off the largest spots with my thumbnail. "But this was a new shirt. And I can hardly go into work like this."

She hummed in sympathy, putting down her own burger to hold my hand.

"I mean my god, it's a burger. I can't even eat a burger properly. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm just odd. The whole world is perfect, and then there's just me, the social disaster."  
**  
*FlashBack: fifteen yeas old:***

**"Hey, posh boy," The school bully sneered, walking past me with his group of followers. I'd been his victim before, and it definitely wasn't something I would have liked to endure again. I tried to hide my homework book behind my back; he was known for ripping them apart, and the previous night I'd spent two hours completing one piece of work that I knew my teacher would love. Without hesitation, he reached behind me to grab it, flicking through it once it was in his grimy hands. "N'aww, did the teachers pet dedicate his life to this? Oh dear," he patronised me. In one obvious movement he had ripped it clean in half. I could feel my face crumbling, yet I was only a few harsh words away from wishing I could punch him.  
**

**"Why don't you go pray to God about it, huh?" He laughed loudly to his posse, dropping the tattered remains of my book to the floor and walking off. Yes, there was the feeling. I never would, but I wanted so badly to ball up my fists and smack him. Instead, I collected the shreds of paper, and tossed them into the bin.  
**

***Half an hour later, in class.*****  
**

**"Carlisle," the teacher called on me. "Where is your homework?"  
**

**I stood up, But my reply was small, so quiet even I barely heard it. My teacher, however, heard ever word perfectly.  
**

**"I don't have it, sir."  
**

**"And where is it?" he was still reasonably calm.**_** The calm before the storm. **_**  
**

**"It's ripped, sir. Somebody ripped it up, so I threw it away."  
**

**"You threw your homework away?"  
**

**I could hear the class snickering around me, but I still stood firm. Nobody particularly liked me anyway, cracking now wouldn't help.  
**

**"Yes sir."  
**

**"DON'T ANSWER BACK!" He yelled at me. "Do you want me to call your parents?"  
**

**"I wish you could," I muttered, almost shouted.  
**

**The vein on his forehead was throbbing madly, so much I thought that it should become the mascot for the school rugby team. Well, it would certainly scare the other teams off. **

**"You WISH I would call your parents?"  
**

**"No, I wish you COULD!" I actually did shout that time, and it felt so good. "They're DEAD, I don't HAVE parents! Nobody cares about me! I want to save people, I want to be a BETTER doctor than the one who COULDN'T save my mum and dad! And God knows I will be, if somebody didn't stop trying to ruin the life that I DON'T HAVE!"  
**

**Still shaking with anger, I pushed my desk forward, sending it crashing into the back of the person in front, and stormed out of the classroom. "And just so you know, I know that had I not just messed up your classroom and stunned you to silence, the next words out of your mouth would have been 'get to the headmaster's office,' so guess what, that's where I'm going. And yes, fellow classmates, the smart kid turned rebel does still have a common sense."  
**

**Without another word I was out the door, and only a minute later I collapsed into the hard wooden chair outside the headmasters office. The anger inside of me was gone, all that was left was a shaky, fragile version of me, who wanted nothing more than to curl up in a corner, and wish to join my parents.  
**

***End Flashback.*****  
**  
Sat with one hand clenched in front of me, I was breathing deeply and shaking ever so slightly after re-living that.

"Carlisle, breathe. You're stressing yourself out." Esme's calm voice brought me back to reality, and I exhaled deeply.

With my free hand, I ran my fingers through my hair out of habit.

"You're right, it's just that today hasn't exactly been a good day. Since I left the house this morning, seeing you has been the only thing that's kept me going."

She squeezed my hand with both of hers, looking up at me through her thick, beautiful lashes.

"You can't let these things get to you," she told me. "You can't cave to something as simple as life. You're a wonderful man, and I'm sure that you're an amazing doctor, because how could you not be? You are kind, sweet, caring... I wish you were my doctor."

She finished on a slight laugh, making me smile a little.

"Thank you," I whispered gently. "You have no idea what that means to me-"

_Beep beep beep_

"What's that?" She asked confused.

_Beep beep beep_

Frustrated once more, I pulled my pager from my belt, staring at the number.

"That's the hospital, they need me to call them." I searched around my pockets, but my mobile was not there. "Great, I left my mobile in the office. I'll go see if there's a pay-phone."

She nodded, releasing my hand and picking at her burger.

I shot her an apologetic look, hoping that she would understand, but really knowing that she would.

There was a phone I could use on the wall next to the bar, so I tried to be quiet.

"Hello, Dr Snow speaking."

"David, you promised me, 45 minutes, and here I am when I've only been here half an hour!" I was whining in a way that made me sound a little like Jasper when I denied him something, but I didn't think that would help me now.

"I'm sorry to ruin your meal, Carlisle, but we're a bit understaffed right now. And I'm sorry, but your coma patient is coding."

"Oh, not my coma patient! Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"You'd better be here pretty damn fast, We've got nurses running around left right and centre."

"Alright, fine."

A sigh was heard on the other end of the line. "I really am sorry. I know you needed this."

"Yeah, I did," I muttered, hanging up.

I knew it was immature, but it made me feel that little bit better.

Back at the table, it seemed that Esme's smile was lost. The sight of her upset made me want to hug her, but of course I couldn't.

"I am so sorry, Esme, you have no idea how reluctant I am to leave now, but, oh, I have to. I really want to stay here and finish our meal, you know I do, but I can't, they need me."

"I know, I know." Her face lifted, trying to show that she wasn't hurting, an attempt to encourage me. "Go, go do your job. I'm always free."

I smiled warmly. I knew that I only had minutes, but I had to offer he another date.

"Tomorrow night," I burst out. "Friday night. I need to make this up to you, and I really want to see you again."

She blushed appropriately. I knew I was being rather forward, but I didn't really care. It felt right.

"Look, just be ready by seven thirty tomorrow night, I'll pick you up from your house. If you can't get a babysitter, get them ready too; we can take them back to my house. I have a full time nanny, she looks after Rose and Jasper when I'm on night shifts anyway, three more won't make a difference."

I'd expected that to shock her, but all she did was smile.

"Is that okay?"

She nodded. "That sounds wonderful. But, three more? Surely that is quite a lot?"

I shook my head. "Oh no, for the night shifts, her husband helps out. Don't worry, they are wonderful people, they'd have to be for me to trust my children with them, never mind yours."

This seemed to satisfy her, and only then did I remember that I had to go.

"Right, so, ah, seven, tomorrow, your house."

"Ok. Go."

I quickly whipped my jacket on; it looked considerably colder outside, and was faced with a dilemma. I wanted to kiss her, but that seemed too much, but a simple hug would be far too subtle. I went with the flow, though, calming myself enough to lean down a little, brush a hair from her face, and place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I'll see you later," I told her quietly, grinning childishly and walking over to the bar to pay. My cousin, Liam was stood there, restocking the shelves with cakes and buns.

"Hey Liam. Whenever that woman I was sitting with comes in again, give her some discount."

"Hey C. Anytime, anytime. Are you paying now?"

"I'll pay you later, I've gotta go into work. Don't let her pay."

I was out the shop a second later, genuinely in a rush now. By the time I'd gotten to the hospital, I was in a fairly good mood again: I was back in the game, set for another date tomorrow night, and damn was it gonna be a good one.

**Wow that was a long one. Chapter three is in progress, too, so I really think that this was a good day for me. **

**For faster updates on how I'm doing, like my Facebook page, **_**Funkyfish1996 – fanfiction writer, **_**and follow me on Twitter **_**funkyfish1996, **_**or you might have to search for **_**ImAmazinSoDealWithIt, **_**which is my YouTube account that shares the same Twitter. I haven't posted anything to this account on YouTube yet, so it is currently pointless, but it's still on the Twitter account. **

**Review please? Thanks. HAPPY NEW YEAR! X X X**


	3. 3: Spaghetti

_**Caution: So fluffy you may confuse it for candyfloss. I don't own anything. The start is a bit crappy, but give it a chance, I love the end. **_

**Chapter 3: Spaghetti Bolognaise**

_Everybody is staring. Well maybe not everybody… nope, everybody, that creepy guy in the corner just looked up. Okay, this is getting pretty strange now…_

I quickly went back to my burger, picking the sesame seeds off the top of the bun and popping them into my hungry mouth. I wasn't really in the mood to be stared at, but apparently nobody had taken that into account. I had to pointedly glare at a few people before they got the message and started to hide their obvious interest in my life.

After I had finished my meal, I went over to the counter to pay. The man behind the till approached me, smiling like he knew me.

"Carlisle already paid for your meal," the man told me, with a hint of an Irish accent. As shocked as I was, I couldn't help but smile back stupidly.

"Oh, right. Wait, you know him as Carlisle?"

"Yeah," the guy nodded. "He's my cousin, meaning I also know him as Dave."

"Dave?"

"When the tenth doctor came on-screen, I told him that he looked like a blonde David Tennant. The name stuck."

I laughed. "I'll have to call him that, see what he says."

"Can I please be there when you do? Or could you video his reaction?"

"Well if he says anything I'll just tell him that..." I realised that I didn't even know this man's name. "I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"It's Liam. Sorry, I should have said that."

"Liam, hi, I'm Esme."

He removed one of his plastic gloves so he could reach over to shake my hand.

"Well Esme," he said, suddenly intense. "You should know that I grew up with Carlisle, he's like a brother to me. What are your intentions with my big brother?"

"I think that he is a wonderful man, and I intend to go on another date with him tomorrow night," I laughed.

"Oh do you indeed? Well, have fun." He smiled warmly at me, breaking his good cop – bad cop pretence.

"I'm sure I will," I replied honestly. "It was lovely meeting you, but I have to get back to work now. My lunch break is nearly over."

"Oh, of course. Come back any time, I'll give you a discount."

I thanked him, leaving the café with a wide smile on my face, and not just because I could now get cheap meals.

**~o~O~o~**

"Hey, I'm sorry if I'm too early," Carlisle stammered, he was stood on my doorstep, but turned back to lock his car. He hadn't even looked at me yet, and for all he knew, one of my kids had opened the door.

"It's fine, Carlisle, really. Now, quick question." I snapped my fingers to grab his full attention. "Am I over-dressed?"

As his gaze snapped back to me, I watched as his eyes opened wider, and his jaw dropped a little.

I was wearing a black halter neck dress that came down to my knees; my hair was partly up in a bun, with loose strands falling down the side of my face. He was wearing a suit, with an open long coat and a scarf.

"Carlisle?" I asked cautiously. He hadn't moved since he'd turned to face me, which worried me slightly.

He shook his head wildly, bringing himself back to reality and subliminally messing up his hair, giving him a very nonchalant aura.

"You look amazing," he choked out eventually. "Even more so than usual."

I smiled, turning my face away to hide my blush.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I think so, but I couldn't get a babysitter. Are you sure it's okay with your nanny? I mean, I wouldn't want to be a bother…"

"It's fine, really. I asked her about it, she's looking forward to it."

Rather than argue, I walked inside, beckoning for him to follow me, then rethinking and reaching for his hand.

"Come in for a minute, I'm just getting the kids together."

"Sure, do you want any help?"

"Uh, okay, if you're offering. Just don't look at the mess please."

He laughed. "It's fine. If I didn't have Carmen, my house would be inexcusably untidy, and believe me, this is not untidy."

I guessed that Carmen must be his nanny, shrugging it off instantly. "I think the kids are in the room, I was just getting their things together. It's just like pyjamas, teddies, that kind of thing. I thought that would be better. Could you just help them get their coats on?

"Of course, that's fine. Take your time, there's no rush."

I squeezed his hand in thanks, and then gently pulled him through into the living room, where all three of my kids were playing.

"Mummy, look what I drew!" Alice exclaimed, running to me and insisting on being picked up. I complied, reluctantly letting go of Carlisle's hand as I did so. She hardly acknowledged his presence until she was at eye level with him, at which point she stared at him for a second before proceeding to hide her tiny face against my neck.

Whimpering, she whispered "Who that?" against my skin. I rubbed her back soothingly.

"Baby, this is Carlisle," I changed my tone abruptly, to one that sounded more upbeat and excited. "He's a very nice man. And tonight you're going to play at his house, with Rosalie and Jasper, like I told you before."

"Emm and Eddie too?"

"Yeah, baby, Emm and Eddie too."

Carlisle spent the whole of our exchange with a soft smile playing on his lips, and his hand resting gently on my waist.

After a few gentle kisses, Alice slowly lifted her head to stare at Carlisle. In true personality o the man I knew, he grinned at her, waving minutely like some hyperactive toddler. Speaking of which…

"Mum! Mum! Mum! Mum!" Emmett squealed, bounding up to me. "Can Eddie take his peeno? He teaching me!"

"No, Emm. He can teach you tomorrow, can't he? Now go get your bag."

He ran off without another word, completely ignoring the fact that strange man was stood next to me, his arm constricting around me. In all honesty, I liked how he was getting a little daring. He did it so gently, it was hard to argue. For the first time in years, I felt loved.

It was good, I suppose, that Emmett felt comfortable enough around him to ignore him. I would have preferred it had he been confident enough to speak to him, but these things take time, and I knew and accepted that. Ignoring seemed to be Emmett's defence mechanism, and that was fine if it helped him to stay relaxed.

"Edward?" I called out softly, peeking around the doorframe into the dining room. In my arms, Alice did the same, leaning further into the room using the door frame to push off of. I giggled at her antics, grinning at Carlisle, which he returned.

"Ed, are you ready to go?"

He slid himself off the chair he was sitting on, nodding and clutching at his teddy bear to his chest. He'd been nervous since I'd told him where he was going, and when the doorbell rang, he'd tried to hide.

"C'mon, come get your coat on, I'll go get your bag."

Placing Alice on the floor, I grabbed Edward's coat off the back of the armchair and handed it to him, then went on my way to retrieve the two other tiny jackets from the kitchen. Still scared, Alice followed me close behind.

I could still her them from the closet, and I was curious as to how Carlisle would interact with my son, so I stayed a little longer than necessary, just to listen.

"Hey, you want a hand there, buddy?" Carlisle asked softly. "You want me to hold your teddy for you? What's his name?"

"Spencer," Edward barely whispered.

Silently, I moved to the doorway of the kitchen, where I could easily spy on their little exchange.

Carlisle was crouched down next to him, with a stupid grin on his face.

"Yeah? Well, hey there, Spencer. Can I give Spencer a hug while you get you jacket on? Or do you wanna wait 'til your Mummy gets back?"

"Mummy," he murmured into his bear.

"Let's wait then."

Stepping back into the kitchen, I gestured for Alice to take her coat over to him. Surprisingly, she did so without hesitation.

At the sound of her arrival, Carlisle turned around, still holding the immature smile.

"Hey Alice, you want help to put your coat on?"

She nodded, holding it out to him. He took it with a chuckle.

"Ok then, put your leg in."

Both kids shot confused glances at Carlisle, and I had to hold back a laugh.

"Leg?" Ailce scoffed. "Why? Arms go in coats."

"I know, silly me, you're too clever for me to catch you out, aren't you? Go on then, put your _arm_ in."

I watched as he helped her into it, and then zipped her up. It was then that I walked into the room, holding two bags and Emmett's coat in one hand. I grinned at Carlisle; he'd already proved that he was good with my kids.

"You want some help, Eddie?" I asked, holding my hand out to him.

Ten minutes later, we had three kids lined up with their car seats and bags of entertainment.

"So how do we fit them all into your Mercedes?"

"I didn't bring the Merc," he told me calmly. "I bought a people carrier. It makes it all a bit easier, even with just two kids."

"Oh. Let's go then."

He laughed at me, picking up two of the seats and carrying them out to the car. He was right about the people carrier being easier, as we had everyone strapped in in only a few minutes.

The journey was quiet, but not awkward. The kids were chatting quietly in their own dialect, and Carlisle was humming along to some new song on the radio that I hadn't heard of.

"Do you like this song?" he asked randomly.

"Hmm? Oh, sure. To be honest, I've never heard it before."

He raised one eyebrow. "Really? You couldn't even tell me who it's by?"

"No, I don't really get any chance to listen to the radio. I hardly drive anywhere."

He shot me a cheeky grin.

"Fair enough. I'll just have to educate your taste in music."

I grinned back, just as we pulled into his driveway. The two car garage door lifted at the puch of a button, and then closed behind us.

"Mummy, where are we?" Emmett whimpered.

"We're at Carlisle's house, baby. Don't be scared."

"Yeah, buddy," Carlisle smiled. "Are you ready to go have fun with Rosie and Jasper?"

He nodded minutely, forcing out a small smile.

"Come on then," said Carlisle enthusiastically. Before I could even question his actions he had jumped out and ran around the car to open my door for me.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, my dear."

The way he looked at me, with his crooked yet gentle smile, the loving look in his eye and the soft tone of his voice, my stomach fluttered.

It only took a minute to get all of the kids out the car, and then we were stood in front of his large front door.

He had the door open in seconds, but he didn't enter. Instead, he poked his head around the door, and stage whispered "Where's my babies?" He turned around to wink at me, and I could hear tiny footsteps running to the door, which then swung open. Carlisle was crouched down, ready and waiting for his kids to jump into his arms. He smothered them with kisses, making them giggle loudly. I saw a woman in the background who was laughing along at the comical scene.

"Daddy!" The little girl squealed. The boy continued giggling, even after his daddy had released him. "We thoughted you had goned out, and you was going to meet the lady you really likes, and looks like a princess like me you was gonna go out with her tonight!"

He chuckled, and I swear I saw him blush as he placed a kiss to her forehead.

"I know you did, and I'm going to."

He reached around to gather my kids next to him. "Rose, Jazz, this is Alice, Edward and Emmett. Me and their mummy are going out tonight, so they are going to stay here with you for a few hours. Are you going to be good and all play together while we're gone?"

"Yeah!" Jasper exclaimed. He was smiling broadly at Edward and Emmett, and Rosalie was already pulling Alice in for a hug.

"Go on in then, kids."

As all five of them ran inside, Carlisle checked his watch.

"Are you sure you're okay with leaving them here? Carmen and Eleazar are both here, they'll have a great time, but don't do anything you're not comfortable with."

"It's fine. Can I see how they all get along first? We're not in a rush, are we?"

"Of course we can, our reservations are in forty-five minutes; we have plenty of time. Come in." He reached for my hand, gently pulling me into his house.

It was very light inside, decorated in plain colours to look very modern, but lacking personal touches. The scattered photo frames across the walls displayed his children through their life stages. One of them however, held a photo of two people I assumed were his parents. Uncountable toys decorated the floor but looking past all that, it was bare. I had never seen anywhere in such need of a woman's touch.

The kids had found their way to the living room, where the boys had already combined their toys to make some kind of trains/stuffed toys battle, whereas the girls were setting up a tea party.

I wasn't expecting them all to immerse themselves into one big game, seeing as each hardly ever got the chance to play with their own toys with another child of the same gender. It was nice to see how they could happily share their toys with each other, without any prompting.

We were watching them play, each with one of our arms around the other's waist. Hugging him closer, I sighed into his chest.

"Now are you satisfied they are going to be fine?" He murmured into my hair.

"Yes. Very satisfied."

"Good. Would you like to get going now? I know a lovely little place where we can relax before dinner."

I hummed happily. "Okay…"

We started to walk back to the door.

"Carmen?" he called out. She was in the kitchen putting biscuits onto a cooling tray, holding a spatula out like a sword and the baking tray as a shield.

"Yes?"

"We're going. Are you okay from here?" He grabbed a whisk from a pot on the sideboard. "If you are not, I shall fight you to the death, and out of the two of us, who do you think is going to win?"

"'Tis it not fairly obvious? I shall win. I have five minions on my side, for I have biscuits."

Carlisle raised one eyebrow in curiosity. "Really…?"

"Yes," she waved the spatula around a little. "Now get going, or I'll turn you into icing and spread you on the biscuits."

I laughed, but Carlisle was still deadly serious. "Ok, ok, we surrender, we're leaving."

Holding his palms up in the air, he placed the whisk on the table and together we slowly backed out of the house. I thought we were safe, until he ran back inside, returning seconds later with a few biscuits wrapped in kitchen roll, and laughing childishly. Together we ran to his Mercedes, jumping in as fast as we could.

He turned the internal light on so we could see and started the engine to warm the car up. It was fairly warm outside, so I wasn't cold myself, but it was still good that he thought about it.

We sat in the car for five minutes, just listening to the radio and eating the biscuits, which I must admit, were still warm, and the best I had ever tasted.

There was one left, sitting on the centre column, between the gear stick and the hand brake. We both reached for it at the same time, our hands meeting and automatically intertwining with each other.

"Are you going to eat that?" I whispered. I could feel my face flushing red, burning my cheeks.

He chuckled lightly. "I was going to," he paused to look up at me through his lashes. "But you're far more important."

My cheeks flared up again, but I smiled instinctively.

I released his hand, picking up the biscuit and snapping it in half. He grinned at me and reached out for the half in my right hand. I pulled it back before he could grab it.

My voice came out as a rough whisper. "Nuh-uh. What's the password?"

"Please?"

"Nope. It's a little more complicated than that."

His face screwed up, yet his smiled remained, forming what I can only describe as a confused smirk.

"What do I have to do, then?" His tone voice was mimicking mine; teasing, sort of sexy.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I dropped both pieces of biscuit to my lap, and lifted one hand to his face. I traced a line with my thumb, all the while keeping my fingers wound gently in his hair. I went down in front of his ear, along his cheekbone, down to his jawline, and finally up his chin and over his beautifully perfect lips.

His face relaxed under my touch, his eyes closed and his lips parted as I reached them on my journey along the plains of his face. He kissed my thumb softly, but that was it.

"My darling," he murmured. "Would you be offended if I asked you to wait? I would much rather have you than any type of food-stuff right now, but…"

I slowly removed my hand from his face. "That's fine."

It was fine. It was more than fine, actually, since he was so incredibly perfect. I could wait forever for this man. I didn't want to, but I could.

"I promise to make up for it."

"I don't doubt that you will," I grinned.

We pulled out of the garage, heading off out of the estate and finding our way onto the main road. I held one half of the discarded biscuit in front of his mouth, which he snatched between his lips, grinning childishly as he did so. I laughed, eating my own half messily.

He turned the radio on louder, singing out the lyrics to the song. Surprisingly, I knew it too, so I joined him in the sing-along.

"I'm on my way from misery to happiness today. I'm on my way from misery to happiness today," he sang, putting on a Scottish accent.

"I'm on my way to what I want from this world," I joined in.

"And years from now you'll make it to the next world,"

"And everything that you receive up yonder,"

"Is what you gave to me the day I wandered,"

"And now that I don't want for anything,"

"I'd have Al Jolson sing 'I'm sitting on top of the world,'"

I started to laugh. "Who's Al Jolson? And why do we both know all the words?"

He laughed too, breaking the accent. "We know all the words because The Proclaimers are epically brilliant. Al Jolson is some American singer, I think."

"Right, okay."

He chuckled lightly. "Look, we're here now."

We'd stopped outside the Italian restaurant in the town centre, but unusually, it was deserted, and it looked pitch black inside.

"Are you sure this is the right place? It's empty."

He just winked at me, saying "Trust me," and then jumping out of the car and running to my door to open it for me. I climbed out quickly, and together, hand in hand, we walked to the door.

Inside, through the darkness I could see that all of the chairs and tables had been pushed to the edge of the room, except for a single table and two chairs in the centre. There was a click of a lighter, and a few flickering lights, as a man stepped out from behind the counter and began to light the many candles situated around the vast room.

In the new light, I could see how the single table had been set, containing cutlery, napkins, menus, a basket of bread, and a bottle of wine.

"I hired the restaurant for the night; my cousin Liam owns this, and the sandwich shop we were at yesterday. I hope this is okay?"

"It's amazing. I can't believe… thank you." I turned to face him. He was smiling sweetly at me.

"My pleasure," he murmured softly. Together we walked toward the table. Carlisle pulled out my chair for me, and as he sat down, instead of reaching for one of the menu's that sat before us, he reached for my hand across the table. "Consider this my apology for leaving our lunch date early, and your night off from everything else in the world. You deserve this, and a thousand times more."

I blushed, giggling childishly and glancing down at the menu for the first time.

"May I recommend the spaghetti bolognaise for two?"

"You may. In fact, that sounds perfect." I instantly put down my menu, returning all of my attention to him. He copied my actions, setting his own menu aside.

There was an awkward silence where neither of us knew what to say. We were just holding hands, smiling shyly at each other.

The silence was broken when the waiter came back over to take our order, and after he left we fell back into a calm conversation, learning about each other. I tried not to think about how the kids were getting along, but after about ten minutes, my worries got the better of me.

"I wonder how the kids are doing. I hope they're getting along."

"They'll be fine. I do feel a little bad for taking their mother away from them for the night, but you know that they'll be having a great time together."

I hummed in agreement, while he carried on speaking.

"I tell you what; I'll make it up to them tomorrow. We can take them to the new soft play centre in town, they'll have a great time."

It did seem appealing. It would be another great chance to spend time with Carlisle, and I had been meaning to take the kids on a day out for ages. This was an excellent opportunity for them to bond, anyway. In the other hand, if things didn't work out between Carlisle and I, it might not be so good for them to get attached. They might not even get along anyway, but I didn't see any reason why they shouldn't, as they were fairly sociable, and Carlisle and I were getting along wonderfully.

"That's an excellent idea," I decided.

Grinning once again, we released our hands as the food arrived, filling the room with a heavenly aroma. It was presented on one large plate, with garlic bread framing the meal.

We both picked up our forks and dived into the most amazing bolognaise I had ever tasted. The meatballs were cooked to perfection, and we managed to eat our way through almost the entire plate before I performed the inevitable task, dropping my last meatball down my front and into my lap, staining my dress with the thick tomato sauce as it made its way to the floor.

I groaned, laughing at my clumsiness. Carlisle rolled his eyes jokingly at me, and handed me a napkin.

"It's ruined regardless," I muttered, scraping off the worst of the sauce.

"Oh, I wouldn't say ruined," he argued. "Sure, it's stained, but at least the pattern is more or less symmetrical, I mean, it's just a small line."

A glance down told me that he was right; it was just a short line running down between my breasts, and another which he couldn't see on my lap. Still, due to the consistency of the sauce, it wasn't likely to come out easily.

We went back to eating the last few bites, chatting casually, save for the quiet moments while we chewed. I'd managed to get a fair amount around my mouth, but I had been wiping it off after every few mouthfuls so it wasn't so bad. Together, we finally cleared the plate, so full that we turned down desert.

After thanking the waiter and the chef many times, we left the restaurant, climbing into the car quickly to escape the cold.

"Hmm… It's only nine-thirty. Is it okay if I take you to one last place?"

I nodded my approval; I really didn't want the evening to end so soon.

We began to drive, out of the town and through the country side, then into a makeshift car park. There didn't seem to be anything around us, just a few hills, and a housing estate in the distance, which I could see from the last bit of natural light of the evening.

As soon as he had parked the car, he jumped out, walking around to my side of the car to open my door for me, like he had before. I pulled myself out, straight into his waiting arms.

"Would you like to take a walk with me? It's not far, I promise, and you're going to love the view."

I still couldn't see where there was to walk, but I trusted him, and agreed to it. We started walking off toward one of the hills, holding hands at first, but as we reached the top of the hill, he moved behind me, so as we came to a stop at the top, his arms were resting around my waist, and his chin was leaning on my shoulder.

"Oh my… It's beautiful," I whispered.

It was breath-taking. The sun was emitting its last rays of light as it set over the lake before us. The sky was mostly clear overhead, making the sky a hazy pinkish orange, mixed in with the white of the light dusting of clouds. I turned my head slightly to face Carlisle, and saw him not gazing at the magnificent view, but looking instead at my reaction.

"Yes, you are," he murmured softly. I blushed madly, trying desperately to hide my grin, but I failed, and started to giggle. He joined me by chuckling a little, but we quickly lapsed back into silence.

"Come and sit down with me," he offered, taking both of my hands in his and with my permission, gently pulling me down the hill onto the beach of the lake. Without a word he took off his jacket and spread it out on the ground. He then guided me until I was sat on his jacket inbetween his legs, then he wrapped his arms around me, sighing contently.

"Thank you for coming out with me tonight," he said sincerely.

"You don't have to thank me, I should be the one thanking you. Thank you, for a wonderful evening."

"You are very much welcome, my darling."

_Wow,_ I thought happily to myself, he'd just called me darling. _His darling_.

I turned my head to smile up at him and saw him smiling back, just centimetres from my face. "So," I started nervously. "I'm _your_ darling, am I?"

He smiled slightly, but his eyes gave away his concern. "Is that alright?"

"That's fine. It's wonderful." I couldn't suppress my grin. As he grinned back, we gradually drew closer, until our noses were touching, rubbing gently against each other. It wasn't long before we each closed our eyes, and our lips met.

The kiss was short lived, however, as I suddenly found the impulse to pull one of my arms across my stomach, and he pulled away curiously.

"Are you cold?"

I shook my head, felling the blush starting to return.

"Well than, what's the matter?"

"Nothing... I was just worried that you could see the stains on my dress."

He laughed openly. "You do realise that not only is it getting really rather dark out here, but a stain on your dress is really nothing that you should be worried about. I promise that I will buy you ten new dresses for every stain that you make in the future."

I laughed at him. "I may take you up on that offer. I could do with a few new dresses."

He chuckled once, then moved to sit beside me as the sun finally fell over the horizon. I leaned into his chest, sighing happily. All of a sudden, music is playing, and I see him slide his phone back into his pocket.

_Do you ever feel, like a plastic bag? Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again, _came a man's angelic voice.

_Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin, like a house of cards, one blow from caving in? Do you ever feel, already buried deep? Six feet under, screams, and no one seems to hear a thing. Do you know that there's still a chance for you, 'cos there's a spark in you, and you've just got to ignite…_

"Will you dance with me?" Carlisle asked sheepishly. I nodded nervously; I'd never been known for my dancing skills. Or I had, but rather for my lack thereof.

He pulled us both up, and he wrapped both of his arms around my waist, as I placed mine on his shoulders. Together we swayed, all the way through the chorus. The song seemed to be an acoustic cover, I assumed from the male voice and the lack of a drum beat. It was extremely relaxing. The picture of perfection just seemed to grow as Carlisle's eyes closed, and he began singing the words softly after the chorus.

"You don't have to feel like a waste of space, you're original, cannot be replaced. If you only knew what the future holds, after a hurricane, comes a rainbow."

Together we both sand the next few lines.

"Maybe a reason why all the doors were closed, is so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road. Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow. And when it's time, you'll know."

"I know," he said simply.

_You just gotta ignite the light, and let it shine._

My heart pounded in my chest. All of the lyrics that we had just sang to each other were true; we'd both been through hell in the past, but this would be our rainbow. If the past hadn't happened, then we wouldn't be here now, having this perfect moment. When you meet the person that's perfect for you, then you'll know. I knew, too.

"I know, too. I really do."

"Really?" He grinned. I grinned back, rubbing my nose against his.

"Really," I admitted. "I mean, I know that we've only been on three dates, but this, it just feels right. Right?"

"Completely." His voice fell to a whisper. "Do you believe in fate?"

I was about to answer, I swear, I took him seriously. There was just something in his voice, amongst the passion, that made me want to giggle. The term just seemed a little clichéd, plus the fact that we were dancing in the sunset. He raised one eyebrow at me, and for a second I worried that I'd offended him, but he started to chuckle too, leaving me relaxed again.

"Why are you laughing?"

I started to laugh harder, even though I had no idea why.

"I don't know," I laughed between random outbursts. "You, ah, you do seem to pick some clichéd dates, though, don't you, Doctor Cullen?"

He laughed boldly. "I know I do. Are you complaining?"

"Certainly not. I think it's sweet," I murmured, gazing up at him through my eyelashes, not a hint of humour left. "I would never complain about something you do. You're just too perfect."

He gave one short laugh. "I'm far from perfect, my dear. You, however, _are _perfect, as far as I can see."

I blushed furiously. "You know we could argue like this for hours, I don't think that you'd ever see the truth. You. Are. Amazing," I told him, placing a gentle kiss just below his full lips. My voice fell to  
a whisper as I spoke again. "And yes, I do believe in fate."

We shared a quick smile before our lips sealed together, in a long, passionate kiss.

**Ahh… **** Sorry that took so long. It would have been longer, but I knew that I had to end it somewhere, because let's face it; this was getting way too long for a single chapter. **

**I know what you're thinking ('cos I'm awesome like that). Sadly, this means that we're almost done, now chapter three of five is gone. WRONG! As soon as this story is over and done with, I have few parts of chapters for a prequel and eventual sequel written. Remember Carlisle's flashback last chapter? We see a little deeper into the story behind that, after it, and all through his life. When we've reached the time of the first date, I should switch to Esme's story. **

**Ooooh, I'm so excited :D Review, alert, keep reading, watch out for the prequel… Whoop :P x x x**

**Bye peeps! Love ya! X**

**P.S: Links to all of the songs in this chapter will shortly be on my profile x Oh, and the version of Katy Perry's Firework is by Boyce Avenue. Look them up on YouTube, I love them. **


	4. 4: Fast Food

_**Who? What? Where? Oh my god, It's an update! You can't argue that it's not long enough though...**_

_**Yeah, okay, it's taken me… how many months? FIVE? SIX? I wasn't counting but wow it's been a while. I was pushed into updating by my very awesome friend HicksyPixie13because we're having a review competition :D whoever gets the most reviews, story alerts author alerts and favourites wins, so please please please help me win this! **_

_**To the person who requested more fun from the kids: Your wish has been granted :D x**_

* * *

**Chapter 4: **

**Carlisle's POV**

I loved her. There was no doubt about it anymore. As I dropped her and her children off at their house that evening, I realised that a large part of me didn't want to go home. Obviously I knew that I would have to, and I needed to go home to my kids, but I didn't want to say goodbye to Esme.

_You're being ridiculous, _I told myself. _You'll be seeing her again tomorrow morning, you're going to spend your entire Saturday with her. _My heart lifted at that thought. _All day…_

All day to spend with her, laugh with her, just to be with her, to kiss her. An entire day to bask in her presence and make her happy, I wouldn't waste a single second of it.

"Would you like a coffee or anything?" She asked timidly, breaking me back into the present. We were stood at the bottom of her staircase, arms around each other, having just put her three beautiful children to bed. I was reminded once more of my own children; poor Jasper had become rather distressed when I'd left for the third time that night, this time with someone else's children. I'd been tempted to bring him out with me, but Carmen had assured me that she'd get him into bed by the time I was home, and I promised to read him and Rosalie a story before they went to sleep. It was late already, and they needed their sleep for the day ahead, but a promise was a promise.

"No, thank you, I need to get back."

She nodded, staring intently at her feet. "Of course." I used a finger to gently coax her chin up so I could look into her eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning. What time would you like me to pick you up?"

"As soon as possible," she giggled.

"Then that it shall be," I replied. "Is ten-thirty okay? That way we get the entire day together."

She pulled me closer, squeezing me gently for a second before releasing me entirely, though somewhat reluctantly. "Perfect. Now go read a bedtime story to your kids. They need their daddy."

I sighed, badly faking annoyance. "Okay, I'll go, if I have to."

Shaking her head, she pushed me out of the front door slowly, each step coupled with a soft gesture; caressing my hand, my arm, my neck, then as I steadied myself on the doorstep, a quick, sneaky kiss before she stepped back.

"I'll see you in the morning," I murmured. _There. That isn't goodbye. _

I didn't turn my back on her as I walked away, instead I used my common sense and memory to guide me through her front garden and out to my car, where I gave one last wave before climbing in. She waved back until I had driven off, when she closed her door behind her.

In the darkness of my car, I could retreat into my own world. I don't remember any details of what I thought about in that time, only that my beautiful Esme did not leave my mind for a second, not until I opened my front door.

My first move was to go into their bedroom, but they were only just getting their pyjama's on, so I went to change into a t-shirt and jogging bottoms. By the time I went back into their room for story time, Carmen had just gotten the kids into bed.

"Story, Daddy?" Jasper asked sleepily.

"Sure, buddy. You pick a story each, then you've gotta go straight to sleep, ok?"

They both nodded, picking up their favourite books from their bookcases.

"Mine first, Daddy," Rose insisted. I nodded my consent as I pulled all three of us into her bed. Carmen wished us all goodnight and left with Eleazar. Even though they were in their mid-sixties, they were still very much in love. _I hope I'll be like that someday, coming home at the end of the day to a warm and loving pair of arms, where even after 40 years together, nothing has changed between us other than falling a little bit more in love after being apart for the day. _

As I started the story, my children held every ounce of my attention. They were my life, my soul, my family, and nothing could change that. I spoke in a soft voice, watching as my breath disturbed the hair on top of their heads as I read. They both in turn leaned deeper into my chest, and eventually fell asleep before we were even half way through the first book.

As gently as I could, I lifted Jasper into my arms, slid to the edge of the bad and replaced the quilt over Rosalie, before placing Jasper into his bed and tucking him in. after putting the books back onto their shelf, I left my sleeping angels to retire to my bedroom.

**~o~O~o~**

The next morning, I pulled up outside Esme's house two minutes before ten-thirty, but by the time the kids and I had reached the door, we were right on time. Esme opened the door almost instantly, looking just as perfect as she had the night before.

"Good morning," I said brightly, grinning at her automatically. She returned my grin just as happily, but someone inside desperately called for their mummy, and she dashed inside before she had the chance to say anything.

"No, Emmett! Get down!" she almost shouted. Pulling my kids along behind me, I rushed in after her, and saw her run through the back door and attempted to grasp Emmett's ankle as he reached a branch halfway up the tree in the garden. She turned to me, shooting a panicked look at me. "I can't get him down!"

As I jogged past her, I squeezed her hand briefly, a quick reassurance. The tree was huge; it took up most of one corner of the garden, with branches stretching out from the very bottom, and stretched nearly up to the top of the house. Emmett was sat a good eight feet up , and I saw his little face quiver as he realised that he couldn't get down.

"Mummy, I'm stuck!" he cried, tightening his grip intensely. I could see the fear in him; he was shaking, his eyes squeezed shut, and he clenched his stomach muscles as the terror gripped him.

"Em?" I said warily, though my voice remained as calm as was possible. One of his eyes opened slightly. "I'm gonna get you down, okay? But you have to trust me, and do exactly what I say. Can you do that for me?" He nodded, shuffling forward a little on the branch. "Stay where you are, buddy, try not to move; I'll come and get you."

Esme gripped my arm tightly from behind. "Don't hurt yourself," she warned. "Be careful, just get him down."

I gave her a weak smile. "Don't worry, I've climbed plenty of trees in my time."

I didn't have to climb very far into the tree to reach him, but I did wonder how he managed to get so high in the first place. The thought slipped from my mind as I came face to face with a tearful little monkey boy.

I leaned across from my foot-hold on the branch to grasp Emmett under his arms, but it was too far to pull him over to me without losing my balance.

"Hold on to me, put your arms around me when I get close enough," I instructed him. "Don't worry, I've got you."

He shook his head defiantly. "Too high," he whimpered.

"Em, you have to trust me, or we'll both be stuck up here forever, and I'm hungry." He forced out a tiny, brief smile. "Look at me, buddy." Reluctantly, he peered up at me with his large hazel eyes, which I noted were exactly the same shade as Esme's. "I've got you. You're safe with me, buddy. Lean across to me, and I'll get you down from here. I've got you, you're not going to fall."

Slowly, he reached across to grab my shirt collar, I beamed at the fact that he'd listened to me, and he trusted me, even if he was clinging onto me like he had to the branch beneath him. I shifted his weight across my body, finding a place to hold him to my body whilst still maintaining as much use of my hands as possible. Eventually I settled for hugging him to me with one arm underneath him, and used my other hand to hold me to the tree as I made my slow, shaky descent to the ground.

As soon as both of my feet were firmly on solid ground, Esme had us both wrapped in her arms. She smothered Emmett with kisses, and gave him a full body check to see if he was hurt anywhere, but he didn't have a scratch on him. I'd known this, and I could have saved poor Emmett the embarrassment of being mothered in front of his siblings and friends, but I knew how important it was to her to know that all of her children were safe, since I felt exactly the same about my kids, and for Esme's, too. When she was fully reassured, she took him from my arms and stood him on the floor.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," she scolded lightly. He simply rolled his eyes and walked off inside the house, shortly followed by the other kids. After they were out of earshot, Esme turned to me, hugging me tight and murmuring into my chest. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here! Well, panicked, probably."

She was still shaking, whether it was from the slight chill of the breeze or the terrible thought of losing her son, I wasn't sure, but I rubbed her back soothingly in an attempt to comfort her.

"It's okay, I was here, he's fine. Everyone is fine, and that's all that matters right now, okay?"

She nodded quickly, wiping tears from her eyes. "I know, I know. I just… I can't help it. The thought of losing him…" I comforted her as much as I could while she recovered.

"I know. I would have been exactly the same; it's natural to be protective over your kids, especially when they're climbing trees."

She smiled up at me, and I returned it, glad to see her happy once again. "Come on," I said quietly, kissing her forehead briefly and tugging her slowly back into the house. "I think we've been delayed enough, we should get going."

Inside, Jasper and Rosalie were being introduced to all of the soft toys which were situated around the living room.

"An' this is Scruffy!" Emmett exclaimed, happily throwing the stuffed dog at Jasper, who was sitting awestruck at the sheer amount of energy that Emmett seemed to have. I had to admit, I had no idea where he got it from, considering the quiet natures of his siblings.

"Are you ready to go, kids?" I asked hesitantly.

After a chorus of excited confirmations, we all headed out to the car, with me carrying and fitting three extra car seats. It wasn't long until I'd strapped the last child in, and was jumping into the driver's seat. Esme was already seated beside me, and I shot her a wide grin as I started the engine. She grinned back, her eyes sparkling with happiness, her shake up from earlier apparently now completely forgotten.

As soon as we were moving, I rested my arm on the centre console, palm facing upwards in invitation. She accepted without hesitation, grasping my hand in hers. Thrilled with this, I lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed each finger individually, whilst still keeping both eyes on the road ahead.

"Daddy," started Rosalie. "Is Esme your girlfriend?"

My face went bright red, straight away. I could feel my blush burning up in my cheeks, as I tried my hardest to hide my growing grin. I wanted to say yes so badly, but I wasn't sure if that was what Esme wanted.

"Rosie," I finally chocked out, not bothering to hide my grin after a quick glance at Esme told me that she too was blushing and trying not to giggle. "You, ah, well…"

"Yes, Rosalie," Esme cut in, her tone suggesting that she was about to throw me in the deep-end to my daughter. "I'm your daddy's girlfriend." Yep, I was right.

"So he's your boyfriend?"

"Uhuh." She grinned sheepishly. "He's my boyfriend."

"Have you kissed?" Alice asked.

I gave a quick nod and a smile to Esme, a go ahead signal.

"Yes."

There was a collective "Eeeew" around the back seats of the car, followed by a fit of giggles.

"Kiss her now, daddy!" Rosalie squealed as we pulled up at some traffic lights.

I laughed, leaning across to place a kiss on Esme's cheek, and then raised an eyebrow at Rose. She shook her head, still grinning madly. "On the lips!"

This was what I'd been hoping for. I was glad that Esme and I wouldn't have to hide our relationship from our kids. I mean, sure this was only our fourth date, but there was no turning back now. I'd already convinced myself that I was falling in love with her.

I gave a hopeless shrug to Esme, rolling my eyes, and then she leaned in to press her lips to mine in a sweet, innocent kiss, but even though it lasted no longer than a second, it certainly got my heart racing.

As the lights turned green, I settled back into my seat, watching the kids in my rear-view mirror. Edward and Emmett were sat with Jasper on the back seat, firing at things that they could see out the window and at each other with what I assumed must have been Edward's or Emmett's toy guns, because I knew for a fact that Jasper didn't have any. Well, he didn't until now.

Rose and Alice were still watching me intently, trying to decipher why I was grinning, I supposed. When I realised that they had seen me looking at them through the mirror, I stuck my tongue out at them, making them and Esme giggle relentlessly.

When we were nearing the play centre, I noticed a sign on the side of the building, declaring _today only, parents play for free! _A glance to my left told me that Esme had noticed this as well, and a synchronised sneaky waggle of our eyebrows told me that we were going to have some fun today.

**~o~O~o~**

The centre was filled with screaming kids; it had such a positive atmosphere, which our kids picked up on quickly. Both Rose and Jasper grabbed my hands, but they were laughing and smiling at the room. Together we walked toward the main desk, where we paid for all of us to go into the ball pit.

"Okay kids, stick together," I warned. "Don't go outside of this room and come to us if you need anything. We'll be sat over by the window." I pointed over to a seat by the window, from which point we would be able to see inside the large soft play area. "Now go have fun."

Leaving their shoes with us, the kids ran off together. I noted how they were all holding hands and smiled, reaching to do the same with Esme.

"I love how all the kids get along so well," she sighed, bumping her head onto my shoulder as we walked.

"I know; it's better than we could have hoped. They're becoming really great friends, and so fast." _Further proof that we were meant to be together. _

"Yeah. Have you eaten lunch?"

I shook my head no. "I was thinking that we should treat the kids and eat here today."

Esme faked a shocked jaw-drop, smacking me on the arm from across the table where we were now sitting. "That's very un doctor-like, _Mr _Cullen."

I chuckled softly. "I know. But even the best doctor knows that the occasional burger is welcome."

"So that would be you, then?"

I laughed louder. "You've never even seen me in the hospital!"

"So what's your point? You're bound to be a good doctor. My theory is that if your doctoring skills are as good as your parenting skills, you could treat me or my kids any day." She smiled sweetly, squeezing my hand.

"Thank you. I really appreciate that."

About half an hour passed before the kids came running up to us, complaining of hunger.

"Daddy?" Jasper said sweetly, tugging gently on my hand. "Please can we eat here? Just this once? I'll be good, I promises." He grinned cheekily, swaying his shoulders and wriggling his body in just the way that he knows makes him irresistibly cute. Of course his actions are wasted since we had already decided to eat here.

"Sure thing, bud. What do you guys want?" I asked everyone, standing up to go and order.

The kids all wanted chicken nuggets, which made my job easier. "And what can I get for you?" I said to Esme with a smile.

"Oh, I'll have a cheeseburger meal please," she smiled. "With a coke. Tell me how much my lot is when you get back, okay? I'll get the kids sat down and cleaned up."

I nodded, not wanting to argue with her about payment. Of course I planned on paying for it all.

There was a small queue in the food court, but it passed quickly and soon a young girl in her twenties had called me over. I placed my order as fast as I could; a little worried about Esme handling the five kids by herself. I knew that she would be perfectly capable but I didn't want to put too much pressure on her.

"That'll be twelve pounds thirty six, please?" the girl asked sweetly. She hesitated for a moment as if she was hesitating to ask me something else. I raised an eyebrow at her, silently questioning her, letting her know that I'm aware of her hesitation. "And… wouldyoulikemynumber?" The last part of her sentence blurred together into one word, and I held back a laugh. I knew it must have been hard for her to ask that.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that." I smiled weakly at her, giving her my sympathy with my rejection. "Didn't the large order of chicken nuggets give you a clue?" I joked. "Sorry." I slid my card into the pin machine without another word.

"Daddy!" I could hear Jasper shouting somewhere behind me. It sounded just like any other child of that age, but father's instincts told me it was my Jasper. I spun around, and sure enough, he was pelting toward me at an alarming rate. He hit my legs with a force strong enough to catch me off-balance, but the desk helps me to stand upright. He still clung to my legs though, and I had to bend down to his level and hug him before he even considered letting go.

"Hey, what's up, Jazzy? Where's Esme?" I stood up with him in my arms and glanced across the room to see her standing at the table, trying to keep the kids in their seats whilst simultaneously looking for Jasper in between the tables. I didn't look back to the desk until her eyes met mine, and she saw that Jasper was safely in my arms. I could see the relief on her face, and the worry creep back on until I shook my head at her, smiling in confusion. I waved at her in a way that encouraged Jasper to do the same. When she smiled at him, waving back, I laughed, and we each turned back to our stations.

"What's up, Jazz? Are you okay?"

He nodded. "I wants a cheesesburger, not nuggets."

Sighing, I turned to the girl on the desk. "Can I change that order? One less chicken nuggets, and an extra cheeseburger?"

Jasper hid his face in my neck as our order was changed and she piled up the boxes on a tray. "Sorry, daddy," he murmured. I pulled his head back from my neck so I could look him in the eyes. He looked like he was about to cry, though I couldn't figure out why.

"Hey, why are you sorry buddy? You didn't do anything wrong!"

His tiny face screwed up in confusion. I wiped a strand of hair from his eyes. "You's not mad?"

"Of course not," I grinned in my childish way that was reserved only for making the twins giggle. "Why would I be mad?"

"I runned away! I made you change our food!" I could see that his eyes were watering again, as his bottom lip started to tremble. I hugged him close, pressing my lips to his forehead.

"It's okay, Jazzy, I'm not mad! You shouldn't have ran away from the table, I'm sure you worried Esme, but it's okay, I'm not mad."

"Really?" He sniffed.

"Really." I kissed the top of his head once more, and then the food was ready. "Are you gonna help daddy carry the food back to the table?" He nodded quickly, wiping his tears away. I placed him on the floor and handed him three of the kids' juice bottles.

Together we walked back to the table, Jasper a few steps ahead of me but he kept glancing back at me to make sure I was still behind him. I knew that he didn't like crowds, and running to find me must have been scary for him, so I could understand why he was suddenly unsure of himself. Whenever he looked back at me I grinned reassuringly, letting him know that he was safe.

"Jasper, you's okay!" Rosalie exclaimed happily as we reached the table. Jasper simply smiled, placing the bottles on the table and climbing into his seat between Rose and me.

"I been helping," he told her. "I carried three bottles all the way here."

"You could have told me where you were going, Jasper," Esme scolded lightly. I raised my eyebrows at Jasper, who stared back at me innocently, fearing what he knew was coming: stern daddy.

"You didn't say where you were going? Jasper, what did I say about running off in public?"

"You said don't," he muttered. "Not without telling you where I'm going, and not without you or Rose."

I placed the tray on the table, bent down by the side of Jaspers chair so I was at his eye level, and hardened my tone of voice. "Jasper, you know what you did wrong, right?" He nodded, staring at his feet. "And what do you say now?" He said nothing. "Jasper?"

"You said you weren't mad," he said in a shaky voice.

"That's because I thought that you'd have done the sensible thing and told Esme where you were going, and asked someone to come with you. You made Esme worry. Now what do you say?"

"Sorry daddy!" he cried, falling forward into my arms. I hugged him tightly, holding him still as he got though his tiny sobs. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!"

"It's okay, buddy," I told him softly. "Thank you for apologising, I forgive you. Just promise never to do that again."

"I promise!"

"Thank you. Now what do you say to Esme?"

"Sorry!" he whined, sticking out his bottom lip.

"That's okay, Jasper," she said softly.

Sniffling, he rested his head in the crook of my shoulder. "Daddy… Can we eats now?"

I nodded, sitting Jasper back on his seat and taking mine between Rosalie and Esme. "Everybody dig in," I offered. I held back though, whispering the same prayer in my head as I always did before I too started to eat. I often didn't even think about saying grace, as it had now become such a reflex that it didn't even occur to me to teach my kids to do it. _I probably should, _I mused. _Dad wouldn't forgive me if I didn't. _

"You always do that," Esme murmured quietly.

My eyes snapped to hers. "Do what?"

"You pause before you eat. Are you religious?"

I shook my head. "I was raised a Christian, but I think there's a difference between what I've been told and what is real. On the same level though, old habits die hard, and my job is a lot easier to deal with if I have at least some hope, albeit possibly false hope, that there's a reason why every day I see innocent people dying." The words rolled easily off my tongue. I'd had plenty of time to think about it, and many a reason to wonder if there was a greater force looking down on us.

I didn't expect Esme to completely understand my reasoning, not yet, but she seemed to accept that I wasn't prepared to discuss it at any length for the time being, though I had no doubt that we would eventually discuss it in great detail.

"Mummy, I no likes it," Alice announced, pulling on her mother's sleeve. I glanced to Rosalie; she was wearing a look of great confusion, her mouth around but not biting her second chicken nugget. I could see the cogs turning in her head; simple child psychology told me that the next words out of her mouth would likely be to agree with Alice, her friend from whom she sought approval, even if it meant leaving a rare meal of "tasty" unhealthy junk food. I raised an eyebrow at her, silently asking if she was going to give in to the peer pressure, not that she had any idea what that was.

"Daddy…" she started slowly. "I likes it. Is that okays?"

"Of course it is darling. You eat up."

She looked to her brother, who was happily munching down his burger.

"Alice, baby, are you sure? Because if I go buy you something new, you can't change it again."

"I'm sure. It's yucky." She poked one to make her point, making her brothers giggle.

"Mummy!" Emmett exclaimed. "My nuggets are yucky too!" He prodded one roughly, and it shot along the table and landed in my lap.

"Emmett! Don't be silly, and don't play with your food." Esme scolded him, but he looked at her and giggled. Edward was just about to poke one of his, but one stern look from his mother and he picked it up and ate it instead. _Wise move. _

"Yucky! Yucky! Yucky!" Emmett suddenly burst out, laughing madly. All of the other kids started laughing too, and I could see Esme was beginning to lose her control.

I sneakily put my hand on her knee, so only she knew that it was there. When her eyes met mine, I silently encouraged her. Taking care of one awkward toddler was enough, I had my hands full with two, but three seemed impossible to me, I didn't know how she'd managed it on her own for so long.

"Emmett!" She stressed. I squeezed her knee in encouragement. "I'm warning you, behave, or you won't be going back into the play area and we will go home, and you will have ruined the day for everyone else. Do you want that?" He shook his head. "Good. Now calm down and eat sensibly."

Emmett pouted, but went back to eating the few nuggets he had left. I took another bite out of my burger, chewed and swallowed, and then turned my attention back to Esme.

"I don't know how you do it," I said quietly, nodding to the kids who were chatting away to each other while they ate. "How do you manage three kids on your own?"

She smirked as she swallowed. "Sometimes I ask myself the same question. It's not that difficult, though," she said defensively, "most of the time. Of course they run me ragged but it's just part of being a parent, isn't it?"

I nodded. "I know what you mean. I'd do anything for my kids. I'd probably do anything for every child in the world if it was asked of me."

"And nothing can stop you being a parent, once you are one."

"Exactly."

Silence fell for a while as we finished our meal, and once again the kids ran off to play. I took all of our rubbish to a bin and then returned to sit beside Esme. This time we turned to face the play area, watching our children run around together. _Our children. _I smiled at that thought, imagining what it would be like if they were all_ our children. _

Eventually we decided that it was about time for us to leave, so we stood to try and call the kids to come out. From where we were, I could see Rosalie and Alice on the top level, jumping between two large rolling soft columns, but we had to get closer to peer through the string net walls in search of the boys.

"Jasper," Esme called out, poking her fingers through one of the holes and wiggling them. "Come over here, Jasper."

It was only when he was a few feet away that I spotted his mop of blonde hair jumping toward us amongst the sea of squealing children in the ball pool.

"Hey Jazz," I smiled. "Where's Edward and Emmett?"

"Hey daddy," he grinned. "They's up there, we's playing hide 'n' seek! Shh!" He glanced around, but suddenly ducked down so only his head poked up atop the multi-coloured balls. "Em's there, he see'd me!"

Sure enough, Emmett was standing on an island in the middle of the ball pool, looking straight at us.

"Jasper!" he shouted above the noise of the other children. "I saw you! You's with Mummy and your Daddy!" Just then, Edward clambered up onto the island beside him, and Emmett pointed out where we were. Edward's face fell when he saw us, and he jumped down from the podium and desperately tried to run away through the balls, which seemed far more difficult than you'd assume.

"Jazz, can you go tell everyone to come out now? We need to go home."

Jasper turned to face us, but stayed down, almost completely buried. "Don't wanna," he whined. "Can't make me."

"We can come back another day, Jazz, but we've got to go home now."

He poked his head out a little higher. "With Em and Eddie?"

"Yeah, buddy, everyone."

After considering the deal for another moment, he jumped up, sending the plastic balls flying in al directions. "'Kay dad, I go gets them."

Before I could say anything else, he'd darted off, wading through as if he was running in treacle.

"So, we're bringing them back soon?" Esme smiled at me, taking the hand I offered to her.

"I think it would be best that we do," I grinned back. "I can't believe how fast they've become friends."

Esme nodded. "I think it's good that they care about each other. I know Alice and Rose like having girls their own age to play with for once."

"It's the same for Jasper. He loves playing with Rosalie, but there are only so many tea parties a boy can stand. "

We both laughed easily, still holding hands as we waited for our children to emerge one by one and begrudgingly put on their shoes. The day had ended so soon; surely there was a way I could make this last longer?

We all made to go make to the car, but Alice was lagging behind, and refused to go through the door. I saw Esme sigh, and I too knew that a tantrum was brewing.

"Come on, Ali," Esme called in a light tone, "let's go home."

Alice crossed her arms, firmly staring her mother in the eyes. "No."

"Alice," she warned, but the small girl was one stop ahead of her: she started the waterworks. Her bottom lip began to tremble, and soon tears were streaming from her eyes.

"Don't wanna go, mummy," she cried. "Pease, pease no go home!"

I knew the tears were mostly crocodile tears, but looking at the tiny crying child in front of me, it was difficult to stop myself running forward to stop her tears. Of course, Esme showed no signs of such a struggle.

"Come on," she hummed, and took her daughter's tiny hand in hers. Alice continued to wail, her sobs became more profound with every breath as her cheeks grew more and more flushed. Her feet dragged on the floor until she began to curl her legs into her body so that Esme was forced to stop. I lightly squeezed Jasper and Rose's hands, and they both looked up at me, confused. Edward and Emmett were also looking to me for an explanation. Clearly this wasn't a common thing for Alice. I looked back to Esme, who was now conversing with Alice in whispers. When she turned to face me, her face was flushed red with embarrassment. "Could you get the kids into the car please," she smiled sheepishly, "and we'll join you in a minute?"

I nodded quickly and turned away, gesturing for them all to follow me. It didn't take long to get the kids into their car seats, and soon I was sat back in the driver's seat, watching them in the rear-view mirror.

"Hey, kids, how would you feel about a sleep-over tonight?" I asked them nonchalantly. I don't know where the question came from, and asking them before Esme probably wasn't the best idea I'd ever had, but it was certainly a great way to get a good idea rolling.

"What, like all us sleeps at our house?" Jasper asked, grinning.

I returned his grin with equal enthusiasm. "Yeah, would you like that?"

They all nodded with a chorus of approvals, and I made a mental note to ask Esme about it.

It wasn't long before Esme and Alice joined us again. After strapping Alice into her car seat, Esme joined me in the front seat, and I immediately took her hand. She smiled gratefully, but said nothing.

"Home?" I asked.

"Please," she murmured, her face falling to a half smile. I raised the hand that held hers to gently stroke her face, causing her to smile fully once more.

"If you don't want this day to end so soon, I have an idea," I whispered. She hummed in a curious response. "How about I take you home, you pack a bag for you and the kids, then I pick you up and we have a big sleep-over in the living room."

Her smile spread to a grin. "Really?"

"Would I have offered it as a suggestion if I wasn't serious?"

She rolled her eyes. "Probably not."

I chuckled lightly. "So you're up for it?"

"Oh yes," she replied. "This day isn't over yet."

* * *

**This isn't exactly where I wanted to end this chapter, but bloody hell was it a long one. The next chapter is the last one! I know, it's sad. I don't have a clue when it'll be up, but I'm having a week off school next week for post-op recovery so I'll probably get quite a lot of writing done then so it might be up before Christmas. The competition with HicksyPixie13 ends on the 10****th**** of December so PLEASE REVIEW SO I CAN WIN! I know I left you for so long, but prove to me that you're still reading? :/ xx**


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